Edible vs Non Toxic Gold Dusts

Today I want to talk a little bit about a topic that’s really hot right now in the cake world- edible gold dusts.

There’s a lot of incorrect info out there about this.

And it can be rather confusing.

So I hope to clarify a few things. My goal is that each decorator knows what is and is not allowed to be consumed, and what can be used for decorative purposes only.

Non toxic vs edible:

Non toxic means just that; it won’t hurt if it touches the cake but it is not intended to be eaten.

There are many many petal, luster and highlighter dusts that are non toxic, but aren’t food grade nor considered edible. These can be used to color flowers and other decorations that will be removed from the cake before serving.

Non toxic dusts are not to be used to cover an entire cake, cookie, or any other part of the cake that will be consumed.

Edible / Food Grade / FDA Approved:

This is where it gets a little confusing.

The most important thing to know and remember is that what is deemed as food safe is determined by the government of each individual country.

Seeing a product advertised as “edible” does not mean it is FDA approved in the USA (and vice versa.)

Countries such as Australia, United Kingdom, and the USA all have different guidelines as to what ingredients are considered safe to eat ie “edible”.

You may be purchasing a dust that was manufactured in another country, or is being sold online by an overseas based vendor.

If the product is approved for eating in that country, you may see the description say “food safe”, “100% edible” or something similar.

But that does not mean it is edible or approved in your country of residence.

You may see the term “EU approved”. This means that dust is approved as food safe for Europe. That does not mean it is edible in the USA.
The FDA is the one and only food regulatory agency for the USA.

If an item does not say “FDA APPROVED” , it is not considered an edible product in the USA, and may not be used in a manner in which it will be consumed.

The bottom line?

You can’t assume a dust is food safe in your country just because the website you are shopping on says it is “edible”.

If you live in the USA, you must see “FDA approved edible” to use it in edible applications.

If in Europe, look for “EU approved.”

Canada: look for “approved by Health Canada.”

So what about gold?

There is no edible metallic gold highlighter dust on the market for the USA at this time.

There are FDA approved luster dusts, but no gold metallic dusts.

They may not be used in an edible application on cakes or cookies. They can be used on items that will be taken off before serving and not ingested.

Please don’t rely solely on what you see listed on a website as “edible” or “food safe”.

Double check and be sure each dust is truly food approved by your own country’s laws. Contact the manufacturer if you have any doubt.

Frequently asked questions:

What’s the difference between a metallic dust (highlighter) and a luster dust?

Do I have a list of FDA approved dusts?

I’ll answer both to the best of my ability:

1) A luster dust is a shimmery, pearlescent dust. It has a mostly translucent look when mixed with alcohol and used as a paint. (You can get good coverage if the paint is thick enough or more than one coat applied.) But it still remains more of a shimmer look, as opposed to…..

A metallic dust (also known as a highlighter dust), which gives an opaque, metallic reflective look. This looks the most like a true metal (shiny gold, silver.)

— Dust brands that have some colors* approved in other countries:

— Metallic golds that are non toxic but NOT edible in the USA:

*NOTE #1: within any one brand there may be some individual colors that are approved and others that are not, depending upon the ingredients. Always check each and every color to be sure.

Note #2: Some retailers buy in bulk and relabel as their own product. They may be advertised as “edible”, but if you cannot see a list of ingredients in order to check for yourself, then you must assume it’s not an edible dust.

**Disclaimer: Don’t take my word as gospel truth. I pass along what I can to the best of my knowledge. But regulations and ingredients are always changing. As I mentioned, you’ll need to do your own research to be sure each specific dust is approved for consumption in your country of residence.

These lists are intended only to be a starting point for you to further investigate and ensure the food safety of the dusts you use.

I hope this clears things up a bit. Drop me a note if you have any questions.

**ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE SUGARED APPLICATIONS IS STRICTLY FOR PERSONAL INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. SUGARED DISCLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY AND YOU EXPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT INFORMATION PROVIDED ON SUGARED APPLICATIONS IS NOT NOR SHOULD EVER BE RELIED UPON AS LEGAL, BUSINESS, FOOD SAFETY, OR FINANCIAL ADVICE.

ALL SURFACES, MATERIALS, INGREDIENTS AND EQUIPMENT THAT COME IN CONTACT WITH YOUR CAKE OR COOKING PROJECT MUST BE FOODSAFE AND PROPERLY SANITIZED. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY CAKE DECORATOR TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ON FOOD SAFETY, SANITATION AND PROPER FOOD HANDLING PROCEDURES. TECHNIQUES AND TOPICS DISCUSSED ON SUGARED APPLICATIONS ARE FOR INFORMATION AND DEMONSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR INFORMATION ON PROPER FOOD HANDLING TECHNIQUES. SUGARED ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR DAMAGES OR INJURY SUSTAINED OR INCURRED BY USING IMPROPER FOOD, EQUIPMENT, OR INGREDIENTS HANDLING PROCEDURES OR TECHNIQUES.

Newsletter

Comments

It’s so wonderful to see an actual cake professional with a degree in nursing to provide clear and accurate information. There are some notorious attention-seeking decorators out there spewing outright lies in their videos about this subject and it’s about time someone provided correct information for those of us in the US.

This is one of the best review on non-toxic luster dust I have seen so far. Well done.
I can add that non-toxic lusters contain dangerous level of the following chemicals:
Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Zinc.

As a manufacturer of edible luster dust, we have a control on those chemicals and must test the dusts for e-coli and bacterias.

Customers have to keep in mind that the non-toxic lusters are for use in plastics and paint. They are far from been safe to eat. You will not die eating them but you body will accumulate long term adverse effect chemicals as mentioned above.